Work Psychology -Leadership, Engagement and Motivation

7

3. ASSESSMENT

Assessment Briefing – 2024/25

Module Code and Module Name

MPSY4181
Leadership, Engagement and Motivation

Assessment Type and Weighting
Case Study

Deadline or Assessment Period

20th March, 2025

Word Limit

3,000 words

Assessment Description

Waltham’s is a leading retailer specialising in a high end clothing, food and home wear products.

Annabelle has been a Senior Manager at Waltham’s for four years and leads the Customer Services
Department of the company. In a recent appraisal, Annabelle undertook a 360-degree leadership survey
and scored above average in the competency ‘Inspires and Motivates Others to High Performance’. Her
report also indicated that her manager, peers, and direct reports saw this competency as critical for
someone in her position. Some of the written comments in her survey indicated that if she
demonstrated and applied this competency more often, it would have a significant positive impact on
her success on the job. For these reasons, she’s focusing her personal leadership development over the
next year on this competency.

Robin is a Customer Service Team Leader who reports directly to Annabelle. He has worked at
Waltham’s for nine years and his historical performance in sales has been excellent. He joined
Annabelle’s team twelve months ago from the home wear sales team. It is generally known among the
team however that Robin does not have as strong an ability to manage time and communicate decisions
effectively to enable his team to deal with customer queries and complaints. At the same time it is also
well known that he is reluctant to put in any extra hours needed to meet personal and team goals and
regularly emphasizes that he does not ‘live to work’.

Unfortunately, Robin has had several performance setbacks on the job over the last three months. One
of them revolved around some critical missed deadlines, which resulted in unresolved customer
complaints that had to be escalated to senior management level.

Annabelle had also assigned him two projects with some goals that were not easy for Robin to hit, but
she had issued those tasks specifically to give him development opportunities he had requested. This
approach was typical for her, as she generally has a positive, confident approach with her employees.
She worked together with him on his plans and checked in regularly with him during the weeks leading
up to the deadlines. Each time she was assured by him that everything was on track. These were very
visible failures that ended up impacting the performance of Robin’s entire team.

8

Other setbacks were related to workplace confrontations Robin has had with several of his team
members following the missed deadlines. Annabelle has met with Robin during the past few months,
moving quickly to pick him up on his missed responsibilities and inappropriate behaviour, to make clear
to him and the team that she was holding him accountable for his actions. She interviewed Robin’s team
to get their understanding of what happened and the impact these situations were having on the team.
She’s also spent a good deal of time with Robin to try and establish the reasons for his behaviour and to
help him get back on track. During her meetings with him, she sometimes downplayed the seriousness
of the situations in order to make him feel better about himself.

At Waltham’s, a single reward system is implemented whereby end of year bonuses are awarded to
employees based on annual performance ratings of teams. However, staff turnover is currently
increasing, particularly amongst Customer Service staff, and recent interviews conducted by Annabelle
have identified that Robin’s team feel that rewards based on team performance, rather than individual
performance, are unfair. Team members expressed their lack of enthusiasm for going above and beyond
for the organisation when their bonus was impacted by Robin’s missed deadlines.

Going forward, Annabelle planned regular meetings with Robin, where he expressed concerns about his
ability to lead and motivate others since his role change, which has caused him to withdraw from his
day-to-day responsibilities. Robin would much prefer to have a social life than a bonus and he can’t
understand why his team are so angry. Annabelle suggested she would put Robin forward for
management training to develop his skills and confidence. She also promised to feedback concerns
about the current reward system to the Senior Management team. Although Robin has accepted
Annabelle’s feedback and has shown willingness to take responsibility for his actions, he is feeling
demotivated by the tensions in his team and with Annabelle.

With reference to academic literature, critically discuss the problems within the case study and outline a
practical plan for how these could be resolved in relation to three of the following topics:

1. Engagement, commitment and organisational citizenship
2. The psychological contract and perceptions of justice
3. Motivation and reward
4. Leadership
5. Group processes
6. Appraisal

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. A systematic knowledge, critical awareness and practical understanding of leadership, employee
engagement and motivation including the ability to critique theoretical frameworks.

2. A comprehensive critical understanding of the practical and ethical issues that face business/

occupational psychologists in the areas of leadership, employee engagement and motivation,
including organisational citizenship and group processes.

3. Critical understanding and application of appropriate theories, to management systems including

appraisal or rewards, to modern organisational contexts.

9

4. Conceptual understanding to identify needs, analyse needs, and formulate solutions and
evaluate methodologies in the design and implementation of leadership, employee engagement
and motivation systems.

Why this assessment?

This assessment has been chosen to help develop your skills and knowledge of leadership, engagement
and motivation in organisations.

Required Sections

The following structure for your work is recommended:

Introduction

• Critical discussion of relevant literature and issues identified from the case study in relation to
the three chosen topics.

Method

• Provide a clear description of your plan to address these issues and how this plan links to the
three chosen topic areas. Consider potential practical and ethical issues with evidence to support
your approach.

Evaluation

• How would you evaluate if your plan has been successful, include any practical or ethical
considerations.

References

10

Advice for Success

Tips for success:

• Support for this assessment will be provided during teaching sessions, directed study and tutorial
support with the module team. Please make the most of this support whilst completing your
assessment.

• There is a formative task for this assessment, details will be provided on Blackboard and during
teaching sessions. Ensure you complete this formative task to get the most out of the
assessment.

Students who have done a similar assessment before recommend that you…

• Make sure you plan time to work on your assessment. This includes allocating time for reading,
writing, editing, and formatting.

Advice from your Academic Librarian

• Use Library Services to search for relevant books, conference proceedings and journal articles

• Book an appointment with an Academic Liaison Librarian to discuss library services search terms,
advice on referencing software and support with understanding and applying APA referencing

Important information about your assessment

You must submit an individual report that is YOUR OWN WORK. It is essential that you abide by the
University Regulations on Academic Honesty, and any form of cheating will be dealt with in accordance
with the University Regulations:

This module will be using Turnitin via the Blackboard module for assignment submission. Students will
have the opportunity to view their own originality report, make amendments and re-submit up until
the due date. Academic tutors will also be able to view the originality reports and occasionally they
may be used as part of the process of investigation into suspected cases of academic misconduct.

To submit your work, go to the Blackboard site for this module and submit your work via the Turnitin
submission portal under the ‘assessments’ section. Do not forget to click ‘Accept submission’ to save.
You can also generate a receipt. You should always check that your work has been correctly uploaded
following submission.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT YOUR ELECTRONIC ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION:

• Assignments not submitted via Blackboard will not be accepted and a NS mark will be entered in
such cases.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that you up-load your assignment in good time before the deadline
and to the correct drop-box or gateway.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that you up-load the correct file with your assignment. Double
copies of assignments will not be accepted and in such cases the first submission will be marked.

• Assignments submitted incorrectly (i.e.: in the wrong place, empty file, work simply pasted into a
window on Blackboard) will not be marked and a NS grade will be entered.

• Assignments submitted after the deadline will be subject to the usual penalties for late submission.

11

• If you experience difficulties with the IT systems, please contact the ILS helpdesk [email protected] and
NOT the module team.

• Mitigating circumstances citing reasons such as “Blackboard did not work” will not be accepted
unless ILS issues a formal notification of system failure on the relevant days.

• Please use Arial 12pt font and double space your work. Remember to use APA format for citations
and references.

• Marking is done anonymously by default and students are not required to put their names in the
assignment.

You must adhere to the word limit for the assessment. There will be a +10% margin, beyond which
nothing will be marked. The word count refers to everything in the main body of the text. Everything
before (ie abstract, acknowledgements, contents, executive summaries etc) and after the main text (ie
references, bibliographies, appendices etc) is NOT included in the word count limit. Tables in the main
body of the assignment are included in the word count. The marker will not consider any work after the
+10% word count has been reached, within the allocation of marks. Students may therefore be
penalised for a failure to be concise and for failing to conclude their work within the word count
specified. For presentation assignment, the same approach will be taken with regard to a +10% time
limit. Please provide an accurate word count on the front of your work.

Arrangements for feedback: Provisional grades and feedback for assessment 001 (Public
Communication) will be available to you on SOLE (where you will receive your grade) and Blackboard
(where you will receive your feedback) after 20 working days of the deadline.

Reassessment: In the event you are required to take a reassessment for either assignment you will
receive formal notification of this from Registry Services, after the meeting of the Board of Examiners in
late June, including details of the reassessment task(s). In the event of not being notified of the
reassessment task(s), a copy will be available via the SOLE pages or by contacting the Registry. Re-
assessments will be in the form of a report.

PSYCHOLOGY GENERIC GRADE DESCRIPTOR – LEVEL 7

CRITERIA GRADE A GRADE B GRADE C GRADE D GRADE F GRADE G

Relevance (relationship to the Exceptional Very strong Good thorough Sufficient response Weak response to Very poor response
assessment criteria) response to all the response to the response to to assessment main assessment to main assessment
Does the work answer the assessment criteria assessment criteria assessment criteria criteria for the task criteria for the task criteria for the task
question set to show attainment for the task for the task for the task

of the learning outcomes?

Advanced Knowledge and Exceptional Highly developed Good systematic Adequate sound Limited advanced Very limited
understanding systematic mastery systematic advanced advanced advanced knowledge and advanced

of advanced knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and understanding of knowledge and
knowledge, critical understanding of understanding of the area of study understanding of
principles and understanding of area of study area of study, some area of study
concepts in area of area of study, including awareness of which is informed

study, together with including of current issues and by developments at

very strong independent critical insights at the the forefront of the

independent critical awareness of current forefront of the discipline

and evaluative issues and insights discipline

understanding of at the forefront of the

current issues and discipline

insight at the

forefront of the

discipline

Analysis (Critical analysis) Goes well beyond Evidence of Evidence of Evidence of Insufficient evidence Significantly
Does the work provide evidence what is taught in systematic breadth systematic breadth independent of independent inadequate evidence
of conceptual understanding, insightful, advanced and depth of and depth of engagement with engagement with of independent
applied analytical interpretation study/research, to critically appraised independent advanced research advanced research engagement with
and evaluation? develop original and insightful engagement with and study to inform and study and/or of advanced research

critical analysis and advanced study/ advanced study and satisfactory relevant current and study
evaluation that research to develop research to develop response to task, but academic references

shows exceptional independent original relevant critical limited in range and

initiative and an critical analysis and analysis to inform depth of critical

authoritative evaluation good response to analysis

independent grasp task

of issues

Understanding of techniques Exceptional ability in Well developed Comprehensive Comprehensive Evidence of critical Evidence of critical
of enquiry accomplished and competent critical critical and practical critical and practical and practical and practical

innovative and practical self- understanding of understanding of understanding of understanding of
application of directed application techniques of techniques of techniques of techniques of
comprehensive of techniques of enquiry and enquiry and enquiry for area of enquiry for area of
critical and practical enquiry to provide independent application to study has significant study is significantly
understanding of original solutions to application to research/advanced gaps or flaws lacking

11

techniques of
enquiry to provide

original solutions to
complex problems in

the field of study

complex problems in
the field of study

research/advanced
scholarship in field of

study

scholarship in field of
study

resulting in limited
ability to critique

advanced
scholarship in field

Quality of argument constructing Very well developed Effective logical and Competent logical Argument/ Little evidence of an
(Argument/ Communication)- academic arguments communication/ coherent and coherent explanation is independently
Is the work presented logically, and communicating presentation of communication/ communication/ weak/poorly constructed
with themes and links made complex ideas/ complex ideas/ presentation of presentation of constructed, argument with
between sources of theory and viewpoints/ viewpoints/ complex ideas/ complex ideas/ unsubstantiated or appropriate
evidence? information/ information/ viewpoints/ viewpoints/ significantly lacking supporting analysis

evidence to advance evidence to sustain information/ information/ in coherence or or evidence
knowledge and scholarly arguments evidence to sustain evidence to sustain validity

understanding that advance informed arguments argument with some

understanding weaknesses, eg in

structure, coherence

or currency, but

generally sound if

standard judgement

Evaluation & Conclusion
(Skills development)
How well is the information
evaluated & is there a
conclusion?

Exceptional
demonstration at a
professional level of

competency in
relevant evaluation

skills

The work shows that
different and

complex views have
been discussed,

leading to a justified,
independent

conclusion/s based
on an evaluation of

the evidence.
Relationships

between knowledge
derived from

different contexts are
demonstrated as
appropriate (e.g.
information from

different modules)

Capable and
effective application

at a professional
level of competency

in relevant
evaluation skills

The work shows that
different and

complex views in the
information have

mostly been
evaluated to reach a

coherent
conclusion/s.

Consistent and
effective application

at a professional
level of competency

in relevant
evaluation skills

The work shows
some recognition of

the complexity of
academic debate

and conflicting views
in the information
have, in general,

been discussed and
some conclusion/s

drawn.

Effective
demonstration at a
professional level of

competency in
relevant evaluation

skills

The work shows
limited recognition of

the complexity of
academic debate.
Conflicting views in
the information are

presented in a
simplified

unevaluated way.
Any conclusion/s are

limited.

Insufficient evidence
of demonstration at
a professional level
of competency in

relevant evaluation
skills

Very limited
evidence of

demonstration at a
professional level of

competency in
relevant evaluation

skills

12

Format and style (Skills
development)
Is the format and style in line
with subject conventions? E.g.,
APA for Psychology

Exceptional
demonstration of
format and style

An appropriate
format and style

including language,
layout and

referencing has
been consistently

applied.

Capable and
effective

demonstration of
format and style

An appropriate
format and style

including language,
layout and

referencing has
been mostly applied.

Consistent and
effective

demonstration of
format and style

An appropriate
format and style

including language,
layout and

referencing has
been partially

applied.

Effective
demonstration of
format and style

An appropriate
format and style

including language,
layout and

referencing is
apparent in places

Insufficient
demonstration of
format and style

The work has an
inappropriate format

and style

Very limited
demonstration of
format and style

Back to contents page

4. READING AND RESOURCES

Recommended Textbook:

Organizational Culture and Leadership

Book – by Edgar H. Schein and Peter Schein – 2016

(VIEW ONLINE through Blackboard)

Employee Engagement in Theory and Practice

Book – edited by Catherine Truss; Kerstin Alfes; Rick Delbridge; Amanda Shantz; Emma Soane – 2014

(VIEW ONLINE through Blackboard)

Further Reading: Please refer to the list of further reading on Blackboard.

All of the learning resources for this module can be found on Blackboard. This will include large group

workshop materials/slides, seminar information, directed study and other relevant resources to accompany

your sessions.

Guidance for what reading and directed study to complete and when to complete them will be provided on

Blackboard. You will also be given further activities and reading to complete within your sessions.

General study resources:

Library resource page:

Study Skills page:

Owl at Purdue resources for APA writing, format and referencing:

See

Writing in Psychology

APA web resources:

The basics of APA style

Guidance on using APA

Back to contents page

5. REFERENCING

The latest guidance and policy relating to referencing at the University of Worcester is available at

Students studying this module are advised to use the APA style of referencing.

6. LIBRARY AND IT SERVICES

Library Services

IT Services: Student Service catalogue:

v2.pdf

Back to contents page

14